Medication compliance systems, methods and devices with configurable and adaptable escalation engine

Abstract

A method and system of aiding medication compliance, where the patient has a specific compliance schedule for each medication, the method includes providing a feedback scheme for the medication; repeatedly monitoring the patient's compliance with the specific compliance schedule for that medication; providing feedback according to the feedback scheme and in response to said monitoring; modifying the feedback scheme based, at least in part, on the patient's compliance with the specific compliance schedule for that medication and the patient's response to feedback from the feedback scheme; and repeating the step of modifying, based, at least in part, on the patient's compliance with the then-current feedback scheme.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is related to and claims priority from co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 698,792, entitled “Medication Compliance platform with intelligent networked pillbox, escalation engine and data signaling feedback loops,” filed Jul. 13, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0002] This invention relates to medication compliance, and, more particularly, to systems, methods and devices supporting medication compliance. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND [0003] Medication non-compliance is a major problem in healthcare. [0004] Physicians prescribe medications for a large class of chronic, asymptomatic diseases. These medications must typically be taken daily for the rest of the patient's life in order to sustain quality of life and reduce health risks. Classic examples of diseases in this class include hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and osteoporosis. With many such disease...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Medication non-compliance is a major problem in healthcare.

This presents a challenge even for those patients who want to comply, let alone those who need a helping hand.

These systems, however, are focused on reminding only and while they may include a remote non-professional caregiver in the reminder loop, forgetfulness is only part of the problem.

The MD2 is not designed to be portable, to be wirelessly connected to a network, to relay visual queues to another device resident in the home, or trigger escalating feedback to the patient.

The platform does not know if the device is even in the home.

However, none of these systems adapt or modify the alert scheme based on the patient's behavior and / or based on the patient's response (or expected response) to a different alert scheme, they simply follow a set routine based on what the patient does (or does not do).

Such systems impose heavy cost requirements—a dedicated computer—at each patient's home.

In addition, such systems cannot take advantage of information about other patients, in particular, how other patients have responded to various alert schemes.

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